A/N: Sorry this chapter's a little late; I couldn't post it yesterday because the internet was down at the library. Barbie

Chapter Five: Perverted Mind

Xander

I had left the car in the garage of the boarded-up house where I was staying and run back on foot, unwilling to be far from my Esme Renée. I leapt easily to the narrow roof under her window and pushed up on the sash.

It wouldn't move. Someone had locked the window. Of course, a little more pressure and the lock would give way, but the noise of it might wake Esme Renée, and I didn't want to leave evidence that I had been here.

So I settled myself crosslegged where I could see Esme Renée through the window, and fell to brooding.

Her mother had made me nervous. The way she looked at me, I could almost have sworn she knew who…what…I was.

And that undefined aspect of Esme Renée's scent, that her sister had shared, had been in the mother's scent as well, even stronger. It teased at the back of my mind, curiously familiar now, as if I should have recognized it.

I growled softly to myself. The sister's ungrounded fears had been one thing; if there was even the slightest chance that the mother knew what I was, I couldn't spin things out any longer. I had to take what I wanted and get out of here before word got back to the Volturi that humans knew of the existence of vampires…of my existence.

I had actually meant to take her tonight. My plan was to savor her scent one last time as she ate her meal, then pull over on the way home and finally taste the elixir that had been tantalizing me for weeks. But she had been so sweet and innocent, so trusting, that I hadn't been able to bring myself to do it. Again and again I had put it off until I was pulling into her driveway and she was disappearing into the house, leaving behind only the echo of her scent.

I set my jaw; it was time to stop being so soft. I had enjoyed the company of my prey before — though some were so boring I took them sooner than I might have otherwise — but I had never let it get in the way of what I was after. She was a goblet of rarest nectar; nothing more.

Monday, I decided. I would offer her a ride home — that sister of hers was old enough to drive. I would take her out beyond the town limits and then…

Afterwards I would push the car off the road and set it on fire. I felt a twinge of regret at the thought of burning that beautiful body, but I had to cover my tracks. Perhaps I would save a lock of her hair, though. Her scent would linger on it for a long time, and it curled so beautifully around my finger.

I briefly considered whether I would take more than her blood, but I knew I couldn't. Not Esme Renée. I had taken my pleasure with others in the past and not regretted it; it was part of the enjoyment. But not my Esme Renée. She was so innocent and naïve that I would respect that; give her a quick, painless death. She would barely even have time to feel afraid. It was the least I could do for my sweet little Esme Renée.

There was a faint noise behind me, and I spun around. A vampire half crouched on the other end of the ledge. "That's my great-granddaughter you're thinking about like that."

I pushed myself into my own half-crouch. He was a mind-reader; that part was easy to figure out. But how could a vampire be a great-grandfather to anyone, let alone my Esme Renée? Of course, if you considered a vampire you had created to be your son, then one he created could be considered your grandson…but Esme Renée wasn't a vampire. She was human; temptingly, deliciously human.

"I'm not going to rape her," I defended myself; whatever his relation to Esme Renée, this vampire obviously didn't want anyone thinking impure thoughts about her.

"No," he agreed quietly, dangerously. "Or drink a single drop of her blood. She isn't yours, pervert."

It suddenly flashed across my mind why that unknown aspect to her scent was so familiar — it was vampire scent! My Esme Renée was part vampire. I swallowed, wondering what rare flavor that might impart to her blood. I was used to wine; heady, intoxicating, but ordinary in its way. Would Esme Renée be like champagne?

The vampire snarled. "That's one thought too many, scum!"

I leapt off the roof as he sprang at me.

oOo

Winnie

Justin yawned, stretching as he got out of bed. "Oh-wow! Did you hear that cat fight last night, Winnie?"

Cat fight. It was the only explanation his mind could come up with for the terrible rending shrieks.

"Yes," I whispered. I had listened in terror, always afraid Uncle Edward was the one getting the worst of it. Though Uncle Seth would surely have come to his aid…unless he couldn't phase. Was that why there had been no howls?

After breakfast Justin went in to the office; he had some work to finish up before the trial Monday. I kissed him goodbye at the door, then gasped and jumped backward when I turned. Uncle Edward was casually leaning against my kitchen counter. "Uncle Edward!"

He shook his head, smiling. "You know, Winnie, even my own daughter calls me almost exclusively by my first name now."

I smiled slightly; it did seem odd calling someone uncle who appeared the same age as my daughter. He seemed even younger now than I remembered him.

"You — you're all right."

"He wasn't the hardest vampire I ever fought."

I crossed my arms over my chest, shuddering. "Un — Edward…did you have to fight him in the yard?"

His face hardened. "It wasn't my original plan. But when I heard his thoughts, I couldn't stop myself."

I shuddered again. "Don't tell me; I don't want to know. But he is…gone?"

"Yes."

I sighed, dropping into one of the chairs. "Why couldn't Au — Alice 'see' it, Edward?"

He crossed the room to sit across from me. "Alice and Jasper are currently in the Middle East. And while physical distance doesn't actually impair her vision, it does tend to lessen her spontaneous visions. Plus, her spontaneous visions are usually about things that affect large numbers of people, or about people she knows well. And she's never even met Esme Renée."

I kneaded my forehead with my hands; it all made sense.

I heard Esme Renée coming down then, and looked up to find that Edward was gone.

Final chapter coming next week!

I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!

Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie